Chapter 5
Before the pointless battle of nerves could drag on, I finished signing the letter and handed it to Wolfgang.
âSend it to the Grand Temple. You have ten seconds.â
ââŠYes, as you command.â
Fortunately, there was no resistance. If heâd muttered another complaint, I was ready to throw a punch, but he wasnât the type to misread the mood. Wolfgang quietly took the letter and stepped back.
After taking a deep breath, I turned my head toward the man in questionâLothar.
âDo you have a problem with Wolfgang?â
âNo.â
It looked like he did. That faintly sullen expression was oddly irritating.
âIf youâve got something to say, say it in the carriage.â
This wasnât the time to nitpick every little thing. I had just started walking toward the waiting carriage whenâ
Lothar stepped ahead of me, opened the door, and asked,
âWhere is our destination?â
âHmm, the destinationâŠâ
I reached out mechanically, choosing my words.
To be honest, Iâd expected a different question firstâsomething about future plans, or how to deal with Maximilian.
He must have good instincts. There was a reason heâd survived battlefields heâd been sent to die on, time and again.
I parted my lips for a moment before answering.
âGraupfels.â
ââŠWhat did you say?â
His voice froze instantly as it struck my ears.
Graupfels.
The territory of House Staufenâhis maternal family, the very first to betray Lotharâwas our destination.
I waited as he stood there, towering over me, then pushed against his chest.
âIf youâre not going to escort me, move.â
Unfortunately, Lothar didnât accept my suggestion so easily.
The hand gripping the carriage door tightened, crumpling its edge.
âŠWait, isnât that iron?
âGood lord.â
His wounds healed in an instant, and now thisâdid he grow up drinking Herculesâs milk or something?
Seeing the rumored abilities of the Second Prince firsthand, Lotharâs face suddenly came much closer.
At a distance where our noses nearly touched, he spoke.
âAre you joking right now?â
So he could get angry after all. Heâd been trailing behind me with that calm expression the whole timeâI thought he had no spine.
This was better than him being completely bland. Without anger and a thirst for revenge buried deep inside, there was no way he could defeat Maximilian.
The surroundings had gone eerily silent. Every knight of the Holy Order had drawn their swords, waiting for Wolfgangâs signal.
I shook my head at Wolfgang, who was watching over Lotharâs shoulder. This wasnât something to settle with force.
Still, his face was too close. His warm breath carried a faint scent of mint.
I raised my hand and pinched Lotharâs cheekâskin that was all surface, no softness.
ââŠ!â
âBack up a bit. Or are you hoping for a kiss?â
To a warrior whoâd run across battlefields, it wouldnât even register as pain. But his startled expression, as if heâd been punched, was amusing.
Still, it worked. The anger swirling in his green eyes faltered.
âGet in first. We donât have time for this.â
ââŠâ
Lothar released the carriage door with a stiff expression. Judging by how it had crumpled in his grip, wind would probably whistle through the gap.
Iâll make that bastard pay for repairs later.
As I mentally calculated the cost, I let go of his cheek. I wasnât expecting an escortâjust about to snap at him to hurry up and get inside whenâ
ââŠMy apologies.â
With a brief apology, he extended his hand.
It was the same hand that had damaged the door.
I stared at that large, sturdy palm. A man strong enough to crush all five of my fingers without effort.
Even so.
âYou shouldâve done that sooner.â
I placed my annoyingly pale, slender hand on top of his. He wasnât the type to lose his temper and hurt a woman.
With Lotharâs help, I safely climbed into the carriage. He followed and tried to shut the door, though it didnât quite align perfectly.
Stillâ
âI suppose I should compensate for this.â
I blinked as I watched the door roughly straighten out in his grip.
Right. If you can bend it, you can straighten it. How did I forget something so simple?
The door closed, more or less. Since we were already delayed, the carriage quickly picked up speed.
Once the rattling wheels were the only thing breaking the silence, I crossed my legs and called out to Lothar.
âHey.â
âAre you going to keep addressing me like that?â
âThen what should I call you? Your Highness? Want me to use honorifics too?â
Not that I would. Itâs not like he could report me for insulting royalty anyway.
Honestly, speaking casually to each other wouldnât be a problem. Lothar was just the one maintaining politeness.
âI do have a name.â
Right. Everyone has a name. The problem is, by the time I get used to saying it, either they die or I do.
Still, since we were technically married, it wouldnât hurt to practice sounding close.
After a momentâs thought, I spoke.
ââŠLothar?â
âYes. Then, Elise.â
The moment he finished settling the awkward matter of address, he called my name.
âGo on.â
With his hands folded, he looked at me, waiting for an explanation. It almost felt like he was silently vowing not to harm the woman before him, no matter what she said.
Should I match that seriousness? Instead, the only thought that crossed my mind was, Heâs annoyingly handsome.
âWhere should I even startâŠâ
I scratched the bridge of my nose before continuing.
âDo you believe in regression?â
ââŠPardon?â
âIf I told you Iâm living my sixth life, would you believe me?â
ââŠâ
A slight crease formed between Lotharâs brows. But it wasnât the reaction of someone hearing complete nonsense.
The reason was simple.
âIs that the power of a Saintess?â
Because I was a Saintess. Chosen by the noble Felmira for the first time in a hundred yearsâa vessel of the divine.
In a world where monsters and dragons existed, the idea of time rewinding wasnât entirely impossible.
So I could just nod here and say yes, butâ
âI donât think so.â
I answered honestly.
If regression were the Saintessâs power, then each time I returned to the past, my divine power should have diminished. But there had been no such sign.
Lothar stroked his chin with one hand before speaking again after a long pause.
âIn your past lives⊠did I always die?â
He wasnât a fool, after all. I answered without hesitation.
âYeah.â
Not once had there been an exception. Unless I intervened, the flow of the past never changed.
But honestlyâ
âThatâs not the important part.â
ââŠ?â
Lothar looked at me like I was a psychopath. I ignored it and continued.
âI succeeded once. On my fourth life.â
ââŠSucceeded at what?â
The carriage jolted as it hit a stone.
âI killed that bastard Maximilian.â
First. I was dragged away without knowing anything and experienced hell.
Second. My husband was falsely accused and executed.
Third. The foreign country I fled to was conquered by Maximilian.
Fourthâ
âIâll kill him.â
All that remained was pure murderous intent.
So I didnât run. I willingly became Maximilianâs possession, clinging to his feet.
âI love you, Maximilian!â
I worked at it for a long time. So he would cherish me. So he wouldnât grow bored of me as a trivial toy.
I didnât even meet the eyes of the maid who once offered him poisoned teaâlest I become someone worthy of pity.
And like that, ten years.
âY-Your Majesty!â
It took ten years to drive a blade into Maximilianâs body as he slept, trusting me.
âI won.â
Even as I climbed the guillotine, the overwhelming sense of fulfillment never faded.
At the moment my neck was severed, I made another wish.
That I would never open my eyes in this hell again.
Butâ
ââŠAgain?â
My second wish was not granted.
âWhat did you do in your fifth life?â
âI set fire to the temple and got executed.â
âHow dreadful.â
I didnât reveal the possession part. It felt like too much information.
For someone hearing such shocking things, Lothar remained calm.
As he studied me with a strange gaze, lost in thought, I wondered if he was calculating how to escape from this madwoman.
That wouldnât do. We already sealed the deal.
Then Lothar suddenly spoke.
âIf regression is not your power as a Saintess⊠then what is your true power, Elise?â
